About the Midwife
My name is Kattrina. I was raised in northern Michigan and relocated to Kalamazoo for work in 2010. I loved living in this area and decided to settle and start my family here. After watching my sisters choose home births for themselves and getting to witness it firsthand, it seemed a natural choice for me when I became pregnant with my first baby. It was, however, difficult to find a local midwife and I ended up having to travel more than an hour to receive midwifery care. This was well worth it to me as each of my three home births were transformative and gave me a wonderfully supportive and protected space in which to birth and bond with my new babies. With each experience I became more and more awakened to a call within my own heart to become a midwife and serve and empower the women in my community.
I was trained in a direct entry midwifery apprenticeship with a traditional midwife and am so excited to be able to offer my services to the families of Southwest Michigan as a Certified Professional Midwife. For me, being a midwife means supporting women as they embark on one of the most vulnerable times in their lives. I want to empower women by making sure that they know all their options and then partner with them to help them achieve the best experience possible. Birth and Motherhood are sacred and ultimately shape our communities and our world. It would be my greatest honor to be there with you as you embark on this journey.
-Kattrina Paul, LM, CPM
Schedule
Prenatal Care
My typical prenatal schedule is every 4 weeks up to 32 weeks, bi-weekly between 32-36 weeks and then every week until delivery.
During prenatal visits I will assess the health of mother and baby. I may recommend certain lab testing and or ultrasound if indicated. Our prenatal appointments are 1 hour and I encourage you to bring questions and concerns for discussion.
Labor and birth
I typically arrive during active labor and am available for early labor checks as well. I will monitor you and your baby to ensure things are progressing normally and remain safe for home delivery. After delivery we encourage immediate skin to skin and delayed cord clamping. I will remain with you throughout your birth and for 2-3 hours postpartum to ensure you are stable and that the baby has transitioned well. This will include helping to establish breastfeeding and a comprehensive newborn examination.
Postpartum Care
I provide postpartum visits at 24 hours, 1 week and 2 weeks in your home and a 6 week visit if desired in my office as well as phone consultation as needed. I will assess your recovery from pregnancy and birth, your breastfeeding relationship and baby’s growth and general health.
The Care I Provide
My focus is always to provide individualized care, in the most holistic way possible. In caring for my family and in caring for others, I have seen firsthand how effective and important less invasive methods of care can be. It is always my aim to empower you to take your care into your own hands and arm you with as much information as I can to ensure you have the best outcome possible. There are times when more invasive care is necessary, and I am so grateful that modern medicine is available in these cases, however, my goal as a midwife will always be to help you have the birth that you desire with the least amount of intervention.
I Support
Delayed Cord Clamping
Water Birth
Immediate Skin to Skin
In the Beginning Homebirth
Recommended Reading LisT
- Ina May’s Guide to Childbirth, Ina May Gaskin
- Natural Childbirth the Bradley Way, Susan McCutcheon-Rosegg with Peter Rosegg (also great for dad’s)
- Ina May’s Guide to Breastfeeding, Ina May Gaskin
- Hypnobirthing: The Morgan Method, Marie F. Mongan
- Real Food for Pregnancy, Lily Nichols
- The Birth Partner, Penny Simkin (also great for dad’s)
- Orgasmic Birth, Elizabeth Davis & Debra Pascali-Bonaro
- How to Raise a Healthy Child… In Spite of Your Doctor, Robert S. Mendelsohn, MD
- The First Forty Days, The Essential Art of Nourishing the New Mother, Heng Ou, Amely Greeven, Marisa Belger
- The Womanly Art of Breastfeeding, La Leche League International
*All Books on This Reading List are also available on Audible*
Evidence Based Birth https://evidencebasedbirth.com/
In-depth review of literature on subjects related to decision-making for pregnancy, birth, and postpartum. It is a great resource for those who want to know more about the data before making decisions about their health and the health of their baby.
The Business of Being Born Film
Well-known film that explores the maternity care system in the United States.
For Facts regarding Vaginal Birth After Cesarean
For Information Regarding Controversial Medical Procedures and Informed Consent
Research on Circumcision and caring for your Intact Child
Other Resources
Additional Services
Contact
Galesburg, MI
(989) 709-0954
Kattrinapaulmidwife@gmail.com
(616) 345-1004
Office Hours
Monday to Friday
8:00 am to 6:00 pm
Saturday
8:00 am to 12:00 noon
